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checimovic
Mar 7, 2007, 12:04 AM
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I'm taking a holiday from roughly Apr. 1 - May ?, and I'm looking for potential destinations. Europe is out because of expense. So where to go? I'd prefer a destination with lots of steepness, 5.12 - low 5.13 heavy, decent camping where I can sleep in my vehicle, coolish dry weather.
Some options:
Red River Gorge - wet? Can you sleep in your vehicle at Miguel's?
Potrero - too hot probably.
Red Rocks - is camping a hassle? Great long trad routes too.
Bishop - enjoyed this place years ago, lots of bouldering, Owens, etc. - probably a good choice.
Limestone Nevada crags (Potosi, Charleston, etc.) - how hard is it to find partners? Camping?
Utah - I know nothing about climbing here, although Joe's Valley sounds great.
Any others? Also, I will need partners, if anyone is keen.
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tradrenn
Mar 7, 2007, 1:43 AM
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checimovic wrote: Red River Gorge - wet? Can you sleep in your vehicle at Miguel's?
Yes, I've done it for few days, no problems.
April and May should be nice in there.
checimovic wrote: Potrero - too hot probably.
You could do routes in a shade and also consider starting early in the morning to avoid heat at noon time of a day. Bring plenty of water.
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localshredder
Mar 7, 2007, 1:48 AM
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Joe's is perfect right now. Maple Canyon will be nice at the end of April beginning of May.
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sidepull
Mar 7, 2007, 2:34 AM
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maple does seem to fit your description - super tranquilo and tons of routes in your grade range. if you got bored you could easily day trip to joe's/triassic/price or head up to AF. of course, spring is when more of the cobbles loosen up so there's a bit more rockfall - bring a helmet.
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Creek_Nostalgia
Mar 7, 2007, 3:40 AM
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Definitly consider utah. The Salt Lake Valley and surrounding areas have tons of amazing climbing. Little Cottonwood canyon (granite), Big Cottonwood Canyon (Quartzite), American Fork Canyon (some of the best Limestone around)... Then 3 hours south you have moab and Indian Creek (sandstone)... There is plenty of bouldering, sport, as well as traditional climbing all in the same canyons! and if you are a skiier... hit up spring skiing!
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dhaulagiri
Mar 7, 2007, 12:50 PM
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The RRG definitely has a high concentration of steep 12's and 13's if that is what you are looking for. Camping in your vehicle shouldn't be an issue either.
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munky
Mar 7, 2007, 1:51 PM
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The New River Gorge is always a great option. Lifetime of diverse climbing (loads of steep stuff) Camping at Rodgers is great. Temps will be good then. Rain could be an issue (like anywhere on the East Coast)
Other options include:
Bishop (like you said)
Yosemite (this would be a perfect destination)
Hueco (fuck what people say, it isn't that hot, and the bouldering is sooo good)
Indian Creek (should be good)
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stevej
Mar 7, 2007, 2:37 PM
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We're going to be at Sinks Canyon near Lander, WY. THere are tons of routes on euro quality limestone in your grades. We'll be there from march 20th to april 20th or so, and I'll gladly climb with ya if you decide to come out this way. Also, Rifle is only 4 hours away, and that place is prime in May, and the best sport climbing in america.
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markc
Mar 7, 2007, 3:10 PM
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munky wrote: The New River Gorge is always a great option. Lifetime of diverse climbing (loads of steep stuff) Camping at Rodgers is great. Temps will be good then. Rain could be an issue (like anywhere on the East Coast)
As an east-coaster, I also thought of the New River Gorge and Summersville Lake. The Dr. Topo guide shows a good number of routes in the 5.12 - 5.13 range at Summersville. Also check out the guide for the Kaymoor area at the NRG.
I've done a trip to the NRG in mid-April that was very wet, but you could get lucky. Based on the nature of the routes you have in mind, you could do some hard climbing even in the rain. The Thompson guide doesn't have route information for Summersville, but it does indicate which routes tend to stay dry in the rain.
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checimovic
Mar 7, 2007, 5:13 PM
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Everyone, thanks for all the replies. Some specific comments:
I've been to the NRG before in the spring, and got rained on like hell. Winter in Vancouver is wet enough - dry and crisp would be nice for a change.
Sinks Canyon looks amazing - limestone, great scenery, good camping. This is a serious contender. And I've never been to Wyoming before. Plus, it seems like I'll have partners if I show up there ;)
Maple Canyon also looks stunning. How difficult is it to find partners there? It also seems like Maple's season starts in May; is that correct?
I've heard Rifle can be wet in May, and prime time is actually the summer. Is that true?
April in Wyoming and May in Maple Canyon or Rifle might be just what I'm looking for...
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climbingaggie03
Mar 7, 2007, 5:26 PM
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Camping at redrocks isn't too much of a hassle. my advice is to share a site with somebody to reduce cost. It's $10 a site each day. There's tons of steep sport routes and long trad routes. I don't know that it would keep you busy for 6 weeks, but maybe. You could also float to j-tree or the valley or IC without too much trouble and depending on the weather.
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stevej
Mar 8, 2007, 12:38 AM
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Rifle's prime time is summer, but it can be a little crowded and every day there is thunderstorms, making the humidity a little hard to deal with. I find the friction (what little there is) to be best in spring and or fall time.
About Sinks Canyon, the place is really great, and do drop me a line or send an email if you decide to go there. I will for sure be there and gladly climb with you, I always like having someone to work projects with, my girl doesn't climb too hard. btw, are you croatian?
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ipass9
Mar 15, 2007, 6:09 PM
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Registered: Oct 17, 2004
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what about krabi, steeep with the best food in the world! also cheap cheap!
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nb_boarder16
Apr 19, 2007, 2:35 AM
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Registered: May 28, 2006
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Why pick just one place? I hear Utah is good, Smith Rock is great, but I'm local (also if u decided let me know for a partner) so I'm partially biased, then south to Yosemite and Joshua's Tree. Maybe Castle Crags on the way. Anything new is amazing in my opinion so have some fun with it!
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ticklistjunkie
Apr 29, 2007, 12:51 PM
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Registered: Oct 24, 2006
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If you are going to be in Utah you should look into Maple canyon. Lots of steep overhanging sport routes in the 12 to 13 range. Cool rock, very fun, and camping right next to the climbs.
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eric_k
May 9, 2007, 1:26 PM
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Registered: Jan 27, 2006
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has anyone suggested smith rock. Amazing routes, good weather. Only crowded on the weekends
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